Through the Fire
by EMndLIZ
Summary: AU - From the ashes of Elizabeth Webber rises Liz Hardy, a woman that fears nothing and no one. Awakening from a medically induced coma, Liz Hardy creates a new life so far from the one she had been heading towards before the accident that altered her completely. Can the people from her past find a place in her future or will they be fated to lose her forever?
1. Chapter 1

stroyline and title  
kindly provided by  
ABCSOAPFAN1963

**Through the Fire**  
_"Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places."_

Signing off on the files that the desk nurse puts in front of him, Jason Quartermaine thanks the nurse before handing over the files and making his way back to his office. For the most part, the night has been relatively quiet, exactly the way he likes it. As much as he loves to help people and save lives, Jason prefers the quiet nights, thankful that no lives are hanging in the balance. This is the first night that he's been left in charge of the hospital. His father has approached the hospital board with the proposition of creating a new position, Co-Chief of Staff, one that Jason would fill once it was created. With his father's influence, its only a matter of time before its approved and tonight is his chance to prove his father right. His chance to prove to all of them that he can take on that responsibility and thrive.

"Baby, hey." Jason answers his private phone with a soft smile on his lips as he flips open another file. "I can't really be on the phone right now..."

"Jason, I need you. Please, baby, I..." his girlfriend blubbers as she paces the floor of their apartment. "I did something really bad...I need your help."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down." Jason voices with fear as he rises to his feet. "What happened? What did you do?"

"Jason! Jason!" his sister voice shouts with alarm just outside his door before she barges right in when he doesn't answer. "Jason, you have to come quick. Please!"

"Give me one second." Jason says before turning his attention back to his girlfriend. "Courtney, please, tell me what's wrong."

"Your sister needs you, you should help her." Courtney says with a shaky voice. "I...I have to go. I'm so sorry. Just know that I never meant to...I...I have to go."

"Wai...dammit!" Jason slams the phone down on the hook before looking at his sister. "What is it? What's going on?"

"Its Elizabeth. She's in real bad shape, Jason." Emily says as Jason starts following her out the door. "According to the OR nurse, we're lucky if she survives surgery, let alone the next few hours."

"Were you with her in the ambulance?" Jason questions her as they get on the elevator to head down to the OR, continuing when she confirms she was. "Catch me up on her vitals during transit."

"Her blood pressure kept dropping, she nearly flatlined twice, but they were able to get her stable after the second time." Emily relays as the doors to the elevator open and the continue their venture to the emergency room. "From what they were able to tell me, according to their professional opinion, she has a few broken ribs, two fractured legs, and severe internal bleeding. According to the police she was thrown on impact which resulted in extensive head trauma. Jason...its bad. I could barely recognize her through all the blood."

"I'll do whatever it takes to pull her through this." Jason promises her before kissing her forehead. "I know you want to watch over the surgery, but with her injuries this extensive I'd rather you didn't. Go up to my office, help the staff make notifications, tell her family they need to be here right now just in case..."

He doesn't dare finish his train of thought, unable to do that to his sister, before he makes his way into the OR. Scrubbing in, Jason rushes into the room where he gets caught up on Elizabeth's current vitals and the damages she has sustained. Once he gets up to date, he starts instructing the OR personnel on what to do. From the look of the patient, this was going to be a long night. Making a small sign of the cross, Jason gets started.

* * *

:::through the fire::::

* * *

From the moment she found Elizabeth laying on the side of the road, fear has taken hold of her, squeezing the very breath from her lungs. She couldn't believe that anyone could be so callous as to hit her and just keep driving. They didn't even stop to see if she was okay. For someone to just hit her and leave her for dead, Emily felt every part of her shatter. Imagining her laying on the side of the road, bleeding and all alone, in desperate need of help with no one around to help her.

"Emily?" her mother's voice causes her to break down completely. "Emily, what's the matter?"

"Its Elizabeth, mom." she says through her tears. "Its really bad...Jason's in with her now, but not even he knows if she'll live past this."

Allowing her mother to hold her as her whole world begins to fall apart, Emily takes the moment to feel sorry for herself before sucking it up and stepping out of her embrace. Swearing to herself that this is the only time that she will feel sorry for herself from this point on. Elizabeth is the one that's in pain. Whether she lives past this or not, none of this is about her. Taking in a deep breath, Emily makes her way to the nurse's station, its time to make notifications.

"The hospital has personnel for this sort of thing." Monica places her hand over her daughter's as she picks up the phone. "You do not have to be the one to make this call."

"Yes, mother, I do." Emily gently removes her mother's hand. "Elizabeth would do the same for me. I have to be the one to call her grandparents. I owe her that much."

"She's your best friend." Monica replies. "I doubt she'd be upset with you if you didn't make this call."

"I was supposed to meet her at the diner." Emily says seriously. "I was running late and...I should have been there."

"What could you have done?" Monica voices seriously. "What happened to Elizabeth is not your fault! Its that driver's."

"If I was on time, she wouldn't have been waiting on the sidewalk for me." Emily snaps. "I know you're trying to comfort me, but right now I just can't hear it. I'm making this call."

"Okay." Monica takes a few steps back, giving Emily her space. "Okay."

Taking a deep breath, Emily dials the one number that would surely break her even further. As soon as she replies, she could tell that Elizabeth grandfather already knew it wouldn't be good news. She could hear the pain in his voice as he tells her they're on their way. Every part of her aching when he pleads with her to watch over the surgery until they get there. It was the most heartbreaking request she's ever agreed to, but one she has agreed to none the less. Against her mother's wishes, Emily makes her way to the observation room to watch over the surgery as it goes underway.

* * *

:::through the fire:::

* * *

Stripping off the scrubs, Jason makes his way out of the OR to inform Elizabeth's family about the surgery and his predictions on her chances of making it past what has happened to her. Regardless of how many times he has done this, he never gets used to informing the family of the possibility that their loved one will not survive.

The moment he stepped into the conference room, Jason knew that this would be the hardest one of all. At first, his mother tries to step over to him, intending to give him moral support as he gives the devastating news to the Hardy family, but he stops her. If he's supposed to run this hospital with his father, he needs to be the one to stand in front of this family and deliver the news.

"The next forty-eight hours is crucial." Jason sums it up once he divulges all there is to know about Elizabeth's condition. "I know how difficult this must be, but I'm going to have to deny visitation at this point. Just for now. Once she's stable enough to be moved into the ICU, limited visitation will be allowed. I will be on-call to answer any and all questions you may have."

Once he gives his last word, Jason makes his way to the locker rooms to get washed up, a fear creeping into his heart as he stands beneath the pouring water. It couldn't be a coincidence that his girlfriend would make a frantic call just moments before Elizabeth is wheeled into the hospital. He hates thinking it, but it lines up.

Slamming his hands against the tiled walls, he finishes washing up before quickly getting dressed and making his way down to the parking garage. He has to know for sure. If his girlfriend is responsible for this kind of damage, if she's the one that left Elizabeth for dead, he has to know. Driving as fast as he can, Jason tries to call Courtney, but it goes straight to voicemail.

Pulling up to their apartment, Jason felt his heart sink even further when he finds an ambulance parked in his driveway with the lights flashing. Throwing the car into park, he quickly makes his way up the pathway to the front door, arriving just as the medics are wheeling her out on the gurney.

"What happened?" Jason asks the medic that falls behind to speak to him. "What's wrong with her?"

"Dr. Quartermaine, it seems as if your girlfriend has overdosed on prescription pain medication." the man replies. "We'll do what we can, but its best not to get your hopes too high."

"What are her chances?"

"She consumed what looked to be a full bottle of oxycodone. Maybe if she had gotten help sooner, she'd have better chances, but that's not the case." he sighs. "I'm sorry."

Watching the man walk out of the apartment to join his partner in the ambulance, Jason could almost feel the ground beneath him disappear, sending him straight into the dark abyss. Blindly walking into the room where they had found her, Jason finds a note addressed to him on the nightstand by the empty bottle of pills. Detailed in short simple words is his girlfriend's confession to the hit and run. Begging his forgiveness before apologizing for what she had to do. She just couldn't live with the guilt if Elizabeth were to die because of her. Cursing to the high heavens, Jason tosses the note onto the bed before making his way back to the hospital. Elizabeth will not die. His girlfriend will not be the reason that his sister loses her best friend. Not on his watch.

* * *

:::through the fire:::

* * *

She wasn't sure if the room was actually colder or if it was just her, but she could feel the chills spreading over her body as she sat beside Elizabeth in the recovery ward. Normally no one is allowed access to the recovery wing, especially once the doctor has revoked visitation for a specific patient, but she just couldn't stand waiting another moment longer. She had to see her best friend. Call it self-punishment or whatever, but she had to see her for herself, to know that she was still alive. That Elizabeth still had a chance.

"You shouldn't be in here." her brother voices as he stands in the doorway. "She's still unstable."

"I know." Emily whispers as she holds Elizabeth's hand in hers. "I had to see her."

"Mom told me what you said." Jason admits. "Its not your fault, Em."

"Please don't try to reassure me." Emily sighs, tears stinging her eyes. "Everyone has tried to and I just can't take hearing it from you, too."

"Fine." he accepts, knowing that now was most definitely not the time to divulge the truth behind the accident. Not with things looking so dreary as it is. "But I can't have you staying back here. Her condition can go bad fast and you'll only be in the way."

"I'll leave, but only on one condition." Emily says firmly. "You have to stay with her. She doesn't deserve to be alone, Jason. Especially now."

"I'll be with her as much as possible." Jason assures. "But I do have other patients to tend to."

"She's my best friend, Jason, and her condition is sketchy at best." Emily pleads with him. "If she doesn't make it through the night, I need to know that she wasn't alone. Please, I can't leave here without knowing that she has someone by her side that cares for her. Please."

"Okay." Jason relents, tears stinging his eyes. "I'll stay with her until she's transferred to the ICU."

"Thank you." Emily hugs her brother tightly for a long moment before moving to place a soft kiss upon Elizabeth's forehead. "Keep fighting, Liz. Don't give up."

Taking in a deep breath, she makes her way out of the hospital, in desperate need to wash away the day from her body. The blood has begun to dry on her clothes, a sore reminder of the reality that has fallen upon here, and Emily just wanted to burn the outfit altogether. Today never should have happened and she will never forgive herself for being late. She should have been there. The one time that she's late, the first time ever, and this happens. Shaking the thoughts from her mind, Emily makes her way back to the estate and into her private bathroom, slowly dropping into her tub to soak the day away. Tomorrow has to be better. It just has to be.

* * *

:::through the fire:::

* * *

Staring down at Elizabeth, his heart tightens, seeing the damage that his girlfriend had caused. A part of him wanted to tell Emily the truth, that Courtney had been responsible for this, but what good would that have done? Courtney has chosen to kill herself rather than face the consequences of her actions, actions that will undoubtedly come to light once the police get involved, and then all hell will break loose then. For now, he just wants the focus on getting Elizabeth better rather than the person that put her there.

For as long as he's known her, Elizabeth has always had this light about her, a unique ability to just liven up any room she walked into. Seeing her like this now, laying motionless upon the hospital bed, Jason couldn't hold it in any longer. Lowering his head upon their joined hands, he allows the tears to fall from his eyes. All the pain, the anger, and heartache pour into the tears falling down his face. None of this should have happened. This shouldn't be their reality.

"I'm so sorry." he says through his tears, raising his head to look upon her face. "This never should have happened to you. I swear, on my life, that I'll do whatever it takes to get you past this, but I need you to do your part. I need you to fight as hard as you can to stay alive. You do that and, I swear to you, I will get you past this."


	2. Chapter 2

stroyline and title  
kindly provided by  
ABCSOAPFAN1963

**Through the Fire**  
_"Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places."_

Emily couldn't believe that her grandfather could be so selfish as to make such a request to Elizabeth's grandparents. Elizabeth is fighting for her life, barely out of the danger zone, and here her grandfather stands asking the Steve and Audrey not to divulge the truth behind the hit and run to anyone. Her friend could still die and all Edward is concerned with at the moment is the future of his company. A scandal like this could very well have a huge negative impact on ELQ, an impact that they can't afford, but still. How dare he use the families' long standing friendship to make such a request.

"I'm so sorry for my grandfather." Emily voices to the couple as she walks them to their car. "A request like that is simply callous."

"Your grandfather's heart may not be in the right place, but we feel the same as he does in regard to keeping it between our families." Audrey voices after a moment. "The young woman that put our Elizabeth in the hospital has suffered enough. We hold no ill will to that young lady."

"There's always two sides to every story." Steve says with a soft smile. "Until we live in another's shoes, we cannot begin to understand what had brought her to that moment."

"You two are a lot more forgiving than I am." Emily replies. "Whatever caused her to hit Elizabeth, I don't think I can ever forgive her for just driving off."

"At our age, my dear, we have made more than our fair share of mistakes. Some more horrid than others." Steve says gently. "The young lady has caused herself more pain than any of us could ever inflict."

"Regardless." Emily sighs. "My grandfather should never have used your friendship to get you to agree to what he wanted."

"That is true, but that is Edward." Steve chuckles. "Fret not, for what has happened cannot be changed. Put your focus on Elizabeth. Your efforts there will most assuredly hold more good than focusing on the one that put her there."

"I'll do my best." Emily promises before hugging both of them goodbye. "Will you be going to the hospital?"

"Later today." Steve assures. "Your brother said he'll call if there are any changes before then."

Watching them pull out of the driveway, Emily takes a deep breath in before heading to her car and driving off, she just couldn't handle going back inside right now. Not with the way she feels about this whole thing. Her grandfather never should have pulled this crap.

Sure, Courtney is currently laying unconscious in a hospital bed after having her stomach pumped, but she's not dead or dying. That bitch did this to her best friend and it seems as if she's the only one that wants her to pay for that. Courtney deserves to be put in front of the legal system and fried for what she did to Elizabeth.

Thanks to her connection to the family, she gets to slide and that's not okay with Emily. Not at all. If only that ambulance medic was right, at least then she'd believe that Courtney got what she deserved, but no. The woman couldn't even get suicide right. Normally she wouldn't condone suicide, but right now she's angry and she just doesn't care.

* * *

::::_through the fire_::::

* * *

Checking Elizabeth's vitals, he feels confident that they'll be able to start warding her off the anesthetics within a month if not sooner. From her latest scans that he picked up from the lab, she has finally started her long journey to recovery. By the end of the day, she should be stable enough to transfer to the ICU where she'll be allowed visitors. Jotting down her vitals, Jason retakes his seat by her bed, thankful that she has begun to improve and hopefully, once its all said and done, all of this will be nothing but a bad memory.

"Dr. Quartermaine?" Maya, one of the new nurses on the floor, voices from the door way. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure." Jason replies as he rises to his feet. "How can I help you?"

"Actually, I was told by Dr. Thompson to update you on a Courtney Matthews." Maya explains. "Her vitals have started to grow stronger and he's confident that she'll be conscious by tomorrow if not sooner."

"Okay." he replies. "Thank Dr. Thompson for me."

"If you'd like, I can stay with your patient while you visit Ms. Matthews." Maya offers. "I'm sure it'll do her a lot of good to have you there."

"Thank you for the offer, but I'd have to decline." Jason smiles slightly. "As you can see, I have a patient of my own that isn't as fortunate."

"Forgive me for saying, but if Dr. Thompson's updating you regularly it has to mean you're an important person in Ms. Matthews' life." Maya voices carefully. "Normally I wouldn't push, but she hasn't had a single visitor since being admitted and I doubt she deserves to recover alone."

"I understand where you're coming from, Ms. Ward, but it is neither your problem nor your place to imply what you're implying." Jason voices firmly. "I have high respects for the Ward family, given the familial ties I have with your family as a Quartermaine, but it doesn't give you the right to question me on the patients I tend to."

"I'm sorry for stepping out of line." Maya voices sincerely. "I only meant to say that no one deserves to be left alone."

"No. I'm sorry. I haven't had much sleep in the last forty-eight hours." Jason sighs. "Look, I made a promise to my sister to stay with her best friend until she's able to have visitors. Her condition is still unstable and, as you had pointed out, no one deserves to be alone. Especially not when they could very well be laying on their death bed."

"Of course." Maya shakes her head. "Anyway, if you change your mind, I'm sure your sister won't mind you stepping out for a few minutes."

"I'll keep that in mind." he replies. "Thank you."

Waiting long enough for her to walk out of the room, Jason retakes his spot by her bed. For the most part, he is thankful that Courtney didn't die from her overdose, but there's still that part of him that remains angry. Angry at her for not owning up to what she did and facing the consequences. Angry at himself for not seeing the danger signs of addiction. Looking back now, he can see that all of this could have been prevented if he had just called her out on it.

Both her parents had been addicted to their own brand of drugs. He should have at least watched out for her when her doctor prescribed Oxycodone for her back injury. Between working at the hospital, having to prove himself to the hospital board, and his family's recent issues with the press, he just didn't have a lot of time in the day to watch out for warning signs. The time they were together, he had believed she had it under control, and he didn't push her even when she slipped up here and again. If only he had paid closer attention to her, maybe none of this would have happened.

* * *

::::_through the fire_::::

* * *

Sitting down on a park bench, Emily thinks back on all the times that she and Elizabeth skipped out on school to spend the day in the park. From the moment that she met Elizabeth, she knew that she had found a friend for life. There was no judgement or expectations between them. She accepted Elizabeth, flaws and all, and Elizabeth did the same.

Elizabeth didn't care that she was a drug addict and she didn't treat Elizabeth any differently when she found out that she was raped. Since it happened, people looked at Elizabeth with pity or sadness, something she didn't want from Emily. If their friendship was going to work, Emily had to promise that she wouldn't treat her the way everyone else has. From that day on, they were inseparable.

Taking a deep breath, she forces herself to leave the past and focus on the present, knowing that there was still so much she had to sort through before she could go to the hospital. During her brother's last update to the family, he had divulged the one thing that all of them were afraid of. Because of the areas in her brain that had been affected during the hit and run, there's a real chance that Elizabeth's memory won't fully recover. The thought of her waking up and not knowing anyone she loves, let alone herself, makes Emily hate Courtney that much more.

Like everyone else that loves Elizabeth, she has begun praying for her to wake up exactly as she has always been. She refuses to believe that life will never be the same again. Elizabeth has to wake up with her memories. She has to be the girl that she met in high school. The girl that she owes a huge apology to. The girl that she doesn't know how to live without.

With a deep sigh, Emily rises from her place on the bench, deciding that its time to prepare for anything. As much as she wishes for things to go back to how it used to be, Jason was very adamant on them preparing for the alternative and that's exactly what she'll do. She will go home and she will research all there is to know about amnesiacs. She will be prepared to help her friend, no matter the circumstances.

* * *

::::_through the fire_::::

* * *

Checking the vitals of her patient, Maya wonders if she has made the right choice in aiding this woman, almost certain that there was more to the story that she's being told. She has grown up with the knowledge of when someone's trying to play her and, right now, she's getting that strong feeling from the patient in her care.

"I did what you asked." Maya divulges. "He chose not to come."

"Was he defensive?"

"When I questioned his place in your life, yes." Maya admits. "He didn't take it lightly."

"Then I still have a chance." she voices with a soft smile. "I may have made a mistake, but I still have a chance. That's all I need."

"What did you do?" Maya questions her seriously. "What did you do that a man like Jason, a man with dignity and respect for others, won't come running to your side?"

"That is none of your business." Courtney says firmly. "I made a mistake. A huge mistake. But he will forgive me. I know it."

"Whatever makes you sleep at night." Maya replies before jotting down her vitals. "Your vitals are getting stronger. You should be out of here by tomorrow."

"Good." Courtney says simply. "The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can make amends with the man I love."

Shaking her head, Maya makes her way out of the room, knowing that there wasn't much more she could do for her patient. Informing Dr. Thompson of Courtney's latest vitals, Maya signs out for the day and heads home. Whatever happened between Courtney and Jason, it was obviously none of her business. However, if she were a betting woman, she'd bet that Courtney's happily ever after isn't going to come that easily. From the looks of her, Maya would have to say its only fitting.

* * *

:::_through the fire_:::

* * *

Jason had seen it coming when one of the PCPD detectives stopped by Elizabeth's room for an update before divulging that they weren't any closer to solving the hit and run today than they were when it happened. Obviously they have an investigation going in regard to Courtney's attempted suicide. With the note that he tossed on their bed, it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to charge her for the crime. Seeing as they haven't made any arrests, it was only logical to believe that his grandfather had a hand in hiding the truth.

"I hate this." Emily voices as she's typing away at her computer. "I hate that grandfather is more concerned about his company than Elizabeth getting justice for what happened to her."

"You know that Grandfather cares about Elizabeth." Jason counters. "He just has to take the future of his company into account."

"Are you seriously defending his actions?" Emily questions in disbelief. "He used his friendship with Steve and Audrey to get them to keep quiet about what they know."

"No one's saying that his methods are ideal, Em." Jason sighs. "I'm sure he'll regret it later."

"I know she's your girlfriend, Jason, but she doesn't deserve to get away with what she did." Emily says firmly. "She left Elizabeth for dead. She hit her at top speed and just drove off. Its not fair that she won't face the consequences."

"I know its hard, but try not to think about her." Jason replies. "Do you want to know how she's doing today?"

"You know I do."

"She's getting stronger." Jason assures. "She should be strong enough to move into the ICU by tonight."

"That means I can visit her, right?"

"Right." he replies. "What's all that typing?"

"I'm researching." she admits. "I want to be prepared for anything...even amnesia."

"You're a good friend, Em." Jason says with a smile. "Just focus on getting Elizabeth better and know that I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I better get back to our patient." Jason voices as he glances in at her through the door. "See you tonight?"

"See you."

Ending the call, Jason makes his way back into the room, a thought lingering in his mind as he retakes his seat by her bed. Girlfriend. Is that what Courtney still is to him? Would it be completely callous of him to walk away from her after all she's done? Edward may have given her a chance to avoid legal consequences for her actions, but did that mean that he had to act as if it never happened, too? Staring at Elizabeth laying there in the hospital bed, he tries to think about the next steps he'll take in his life. Will he forgive Courtney and help her through her drug addiction? Did he owe her that much? Or does he walk away from her for good?


	3. Chapter 3

stroyline and title  
kindly provided by  
ABCSOAPFAN1963

**Through the Fire**  
_"Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places."_

Brain overflowing with information on brain injuries and amnesia, Emily couldn't decide if she was glad she did the research or if it just made her that much more afraid for her best friend. There are so many different types of amnesia, so many different things that could change within Elizabeth due to the damages that her brain had sustained. So many parts of her can be affected. All the things that people take for granted could be taken from her and that scares Emily.

The once talkative Elizabeth could become even more talkative or she could lose that piece of her altogether. She can turn into one those short sentence people who barely voice anything. She's met someone like that, a person that barely speaks no matter what you say to them, and she can't imagine Elizabeth ever being so closed off like that. She's widely known for her nervous rambling and excited babbling. To think that she'll never hear her ramble on and on about something or another makes Emily disheartened even further.

That's not even touching on the behavioral and personal aspects of the possible changes that she'll endure. Depending on the areas that have been affected during the hit and run, Elizabeth could come out of the coma an entirely different person, not a single trace of the girl she used to be. There's just so many possible ways that this tragedy can transform her best friend, so many ways for this to turn out, and she wasn't sure if she was truly prepared for that.

Making her way out of her bedroom, Emily decides to make her way to the hospital, needing to see Elizabeth now more than ever. With all the new information floating around in her head, she just needs to be by her side and remember just why she was filling her head with things that could keep her up at night. She needs to remember all the good she had with Elizabeth and the chances of that continuing or being recreated once she awakens.

"Hey." Emily breathes as she accepts her brother's embrace in greeting. "How is she?"

"She's stable. Her vitals are still weaker than I'd like, but its getting stronger by the hour." Jason informs as he pulls away to look at her. "I informed her grandparents of the transfer and they'll be back in the morning to be with her. I've already put you down on the overnight visitors list, so, you can stay the night if that's what you want."

"It is." Emily shakes her head, smiling softly. "Thank you."

"Thank me by keeping an eye on her tonight." Jason counters. "If there are any changes, call me. I'm gonna be staying in the on-call room tonight so I won't be too far."

"Jason..."

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to stop by and see Courtney?"

"Not tonight." he replies before kissing her forehead. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

Taking a deep breath, she grants her brother a soft smile before making her way into the room, allowing the door to softly close behind her. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that Elizabeth was merely sleeping, the peaceful expression upon her face lending some calmness to Emily as she takes a seat by the bed. Pulling a magazine from her purse, Emily settles into her seat for the night, grateful to be able to be by her side.

* * *

:::_through the fire_:::

* * *

Pouring his wife a cup of tea, Steve gently sets it in front of her before taking a seat beside her on their couch, saddened by the expression on her face. He had done his best to stop her from looking at Elizabeth's CT scans, but his wife just wouldn't let it go until she saw them for herself. Refusing to let her see it alone, he had gone with her to review the scans, getting Jason's medical input as they looked them over.

The amount of damage that Elizabeth had sustained, it was no longer a question of whether there would be complications when she woke from her coma, but a question of how severe and lasting the complications would be. From the moment they left the hospital, his wife has been in a sort of numb state, unable to truly process what they have seen.

"We should call Jeff and Carolyn." Audrey finally speaks. "Steven and Sarah, too. We should tell them what's happening."

"We called all of them when she was taken to the hospital." Steve reminded her. "If they were going to show up, they would have by now."

"I don't know if we can do this alone." Audrey voices as tears fill her eyes. "I don't know if I can handle this."

"Having the support would be ideal, but we both know they are no good for her." Steve sighs as he wraps his arms around his wife. "We'll get through this."

"How?" she dares to question. "How do we start from scratch?"

"I don't know." he admits. "But we have to try. We're all she has."

"I wish I had your optimism." she sighs, nestling into her husband. "Regardless of how much I wish it to be, I know this isn't going to be as easy as just starting over."

Not knowing what else he could say to help make this better for his wife, Steve just holds her as she cries her pain out, trying his best to be the rock that she needs. He knows as well as she does that this won't be easy. None of this will be easy. As much as this hurts him, he can't think of his own pain, he can't wallow in the heartache he feels at what his granddaughter has suffered through. His focus has to be on being their for Elizabeth and giving her whatever support she needs. Regardless of the way it'll make him or anyone else feel.

* * *

:::_through the fire_:::

* * *

Hands flush against the tiled wall in front of him, Jason shuts his eyes as the water trails its way down his shoulders and over his back, needing the warm water to relax him enough to get some sleep. Though she is recovering, Elizabeth still has a long way to go before she'll be able to leave the hospital, let alone be taken out of the coma. Until Elizabeth's in the clear, he's not sure if he can be in the same room as Courtney, truly afraid of what he'll say once they're face to face.

Shutting off the water, Jason towels off before making his way into the locker room to get dressed, his body finally relaxed from the past two days of nonstop stress. As he's getting dressed, his mind wanders off with thoughts of his sister, how easily she's been able to adapt to everything he's told her so far. When he had informed them that it was a miracle if she didn't wake up with severe memory loss, his sister processed the information and then went out to research all there is to know about amnesia and brain damage. If he was in his sister's place, he doubts he could be so accepting.

"Robin?" Jason voices in confusion when he walks into the on-call room and finds her relaxing in one of the beds. "I didn't know you were on the roster for tonight."

"I'm not." Robin admits. "Its a long story. One that I don't particularly want to get into at the moment."

"Okay." Jason replies. "You'd tell me if you needed help, though, right?"

"Of course." she smiles softly. "So...can I ask what brings you to the hospital hotel room?"

"Patient in critical condition." Jason admits as he takes the bed next to hers. "Can't be too far."

"Ah, 0f course, the Webber case, right?" she ponders the complications of that particular case. "Steve Hardy sent me the file for a second opinion. I was sad that I couldn't give him the hope he needed."

"Me, too."

"Anyway, you should get some sleep." Robin voices with a soft smile. "I'm sure you could really use a good night's sleep."

"Feels like I haven't slept in weeks."

"I bet." she replies. "Get some rest. I'll get you up if they need you."

"You're not going to sleep?"

"Not any time soon." she admits. "You have enough to worry about, Jason. I'm okay."

Meeting her eyes for a moment longer, Jason decides to trust her word and gets comfortable in bed, desperately in need of some shut eye. Wrapping the blanket around him snugly, he allows the fatigue to pull him under into a deep slumber, sleeping away the stresses of the last few days. Hopefully once he has some sleep under his belt, he'll be able to approach Elizabeth's condition with a different perspective.

* * *

:::_through the fire_:::

* * *

Emily wasn't sure if she should be surprised or worried by his presence in Elizabeth's hospital room. The last she had heard from her best friend, the two didn't end on good terms, which begged the question of why he was there. Visiting hours have long since ended, not that any Spencer actually cared about rules and regulations of any institution.

"How is she?" he questions as he stands by her bed. "I just got back into town and Nikolas filled me in on what he knew."

"She's stable for now." she informs. "Its still too soon to say if she's in the clear."

"How did this happen?" he questions before turning his gaze to her. "Do the police have any new leads?"

"No. None."

"Go figure." he scoffs. "The police in this town aren't worth their weight in gold."

"Lucky, what are you doing here?" Emily questions after a long moment. "The last I heard, you two didn't end on good terms..."

"We were making our way back to each other." he says firmly before letting out a sigh. "We were going to have lunch tomorrow to talk about..."

"Talk about what?"

"Guess it doesn't matter now." he says plainly. "This might be asking too much, but would you mind keeping me updated on her condition?"

"Sure." she shakes her head. "Of course."

"Thanks." he says before walking over and placing a soft kiss upon her forehead. "Keep fighting, Liz."

Watching him walk out of the room, Emily waits long enough for the door to close behind him before she turns her focus back to her best friend. How could she not know that she was heading to a reconciliation with Lucky? They talked almost every day, sometimes all day, and through the night. How could she not mention a reconciliation with the man that practically broke her heart to pieces when they broke up? With a deep sigh, Emily shakes her head, knowing it was a pointless inquisition now. Settling back into the chair, she puts her focus on her magazine, hoping that it can numb her mind long enough to get some sleep. Praying for a better day with the morning light.


End file.
